


Five Reasons to Use Public Transport

by respoftw



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Non SHIELD AU, meet cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-17
Updated: 2015-04-17
Packaged: 2018-03-23 10:36:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3764968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/respoftw/pseuds/respoftw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Suddenly the bus stop is a much nicer place to be.....</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Reasons to Use Public Transport

_Monday_

Fitz hated taking the bus.

He missed his car. It wasn’t much, a 2003 plate Ford Focus, but it had meant freedom and independence and, even better, no more having to sit next to people with questionable hygiene on public transport.

Then he’d had to ruin it all by moving to America. How was he supposed to know that driving on the other side of the road would turn out to be so bloody confusing? His legal right to drive in this country barely lasted longer than his first grocery shop.

So: buses.

Fitz hadn’t planned on buses being a part of his daily routine when he rented his apartment so, as an added bonus to the already present misery of having to take the bus in the first place, he had to take the 0652 bus every morning.

There was very little upside to taking the bus, even the roomy shelter that had so impressed Fitz during his first week was torn down just in time for the rainy season to hit.

The one upside though was currently running frantically down the street, waving at the driver of the number 26 to hold up.

Tall, dark and lick-able, the stranger who caught the 0651 bus ahead of Fitz every morning was almost worth the inconvenience and horror of public transport. Many mornings had been spent with his music blaring in his earphones while he imagined doing unspeakable things to the stranger. The day he’d saw the guy dart up from the bus shelter seat (back when there was a bus shelter) to run across the road and help a frail elderly woman to cross was singed in his memory because it marked the first public boner Fitz had popped since he left puberty behind.

Fitz doesn’t know what possesses him to block the door of the bus before the driver could pull off. (Honestly, the driver of the number 26 was a terrifying looking woman who could be anywhere between the ages of 20 to 50 with a hard stare that could curdle milk, he much preferred the smiling middle aged man who drove his own bus.) But seeing the grateful smile directed at him from his bus stop crush makes it worth while.

“Hey, thanks man.” Tall, dark and lick-able is barely out of breath after his mad dash and Fitz has to shake himself to stop staring.

“No problem - - um - -? “

“Mack.”

“Fitz.”

They smile at each other for a moment before the scary bus driver lady lets loose what sounds suspiciously like a growl.

Mack shoots her an apologetic look as he boards the bus, directing one last smile at Fitz before the doors shut and the tyres let out a squeal as it speeds away.

Sometimes taking the bus isn’t so bad.

_Tuesday_

Mack loved getting the bus. 

Yeah, he loved cars – taking them apart, putting them back together - but he also loved the environment and liked to do his bit by taking the bus.

Honestly, Mack normally mixed it up a bit more by cycling in to work every other week but the whole bus deal had got significantly more appealing recently.

Mack had first noticed the cute, curly haired guy a few months ago. Curly was definitely not a morning person and Mack found the big yawns and fuzzy brained look ridiculously endearing. 

Mack had thought about approaching the guy before now, he may in fact have had numerous daydreams about how it would go, ranging from brutal rejection to public sex, but the headphones that Curly wore every damn morning pretty much radiated a “Don’t talk to me” vibe.

Which is why Mack had been so surprised yesterday when _Fitz_ had gone out of his way to make sure Mack had caught his bus. Very pleasantly surprised.

Mack decided that the very least he can do is buy the guy a drink to say thanks. Which is how Mack finds himself standing at the bus stop on a chilly Tuesday morning with two steaming drinks.

He spots ~~Curly~~ Fitz shuffling blearily along the pavement towards the bus stop and smiled. _Yeah, that was endearing as hell_.

Fitz blinks in confusion as Mack holds out a drink to him.

“Wha?

“I wanted to say thank you for holding the bus for me yesterday. That was cool of you.”

Mack bites his lips to contain a sigh of appreciation as Fitz blushes pink at that.

“Oh, it was nothing but thanks for the drink. I never seem to have time in the morning to grab a drink and I’m kinda useless until I’ve had at least three cups. Stupid early buses.”

Mack laughs, “I’d noticed that you don’t exactly seem like a morning person.

“That obvious, huh?” Fitz moans in appreciation as he takes a drink “Oh my God, you got me tea!”

It was Mack’s turn to blush now.

“Uh, yeah, I noticed the accent yesterday so I thought I’d embrace stereotypes on the off chance. I had to guess how you took it – how’d I do?”

“Hey I’ll drink tea in any form but maybe black next time with a bit more sugar?”

“You trynna tell me you like it dark and sweet?”

Fitz sputters into his drink causing Mack to smile even wider. _God, this guy is adorable_

“No! I didn’t – I mean – I – there’s probably not even gonna be a next time – I’m - I - “

Mack interrupts before Fitz talks himself into a coronary.

“Whoa, Turbo, it’s fine.”

His bus pulls up and Mack knows better than to dally lest he attract the wrath of his driver but he can’t help but smile at Fitz one last time. “I’ll get it right next time.”

Mack carries the warm and happy feeling from seeing Fitz’s soft answering smile with him for the rest of the day

Yet another reason for Mack to love taking the bus.

_Wednesday_

It’s raining the next day. Fitz really can’t bring himself to be put out by that because he’s still running on the high of Mack’s gesture yesterday. If he hadn’t managed to find it in himself to throw out the take away cup that Mack had handed him then that was nobodies business but his.

Fitz had clutched the cup to his chest all through his bus ride yesterday and then gently placed it on his desk when he got to work. He’s pretty sure the panicked yell he let out when one of the lab assistants tried to pick it up to throw it in the bin will be the source of lab gossip for a week. But even that can’t bring him down today because he’s on his way to the bus stop where he’s going to keep up the interaction with Mack.

Mack is already at the bus stop and he’s absolutely drenched.

Fitz tuts loudly at him. “Never heard of an umbrella?

“Hey Turbo, I couldn’t find it this morning. I didn’t want to miss y- the bus so….” Mack gestures helplessly at his soaked state.

Fitz is still trying to get his heart to stop stuttering at the sound of the nick-name that Mack had apparently gifted him but he still manages to gulp out an offer to share his own umbrella

Mack lays that smile on him, the one that Fitz is pretty sure that he would go the ends of the earth just to catch a glimpse of and shuffles closer to Fitz.

“Ow!”

Yeah, Fitz had just stabbed Mack in the face with the prongs of his umbrella

“Shit! Sorry!”

“No, it’s OK, I think I just need to crouch – can you hold the umbrella higher?”

“I think we may have gone about this wrong. How about you hold the brolly?” Fitz is laughing as he hands the umbrella over to Mack who manages to effortlessly hold it at the perfect height for them both to be protected from the rain.

Mack throws him a sheepish smile. “The perils of being over 6 foot.”

“Hmm, you certainly are quite a lot of man.” Fitz cringes as he blurts out his inner thoughts without thinking.

Mack’s booming laugh and companionable shoulder nudge reassures him.

“I’m definitely taking that as a compliment.” 

Mack’s bus is arriving and Fitz flushes as their fingers tangle over the handle of the umbrella.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Mack asks as he steps on to the bus.

It’s all Fitz can do to nod.

_Thursday_

There’s no rain on Thursday and Mack walks to the bus stop with a spring in his step, a smile on his face, a takeaway holder filled with two hot drinks and a CD burning a hole in his pocket.

Fitz’s blurted compliment yesterday had seen Mack walking on clouds for the rest of the day. He’d even had Bobbi interrogating him over lunch, trying to figure out what had caused the sudden good mood.

As hardcore as Bobbi’s interrogating skills were, Mack had managed to keep Fitz a secret. He’s not planning on keeping Fitz a secret forever, in fact his plans involve introducing Fitz to all his friends someday soon as his boyfriend, but for now Mack kind of wants this to remain just his.

Fitz is actually at the bus stop ahead of him for once and Mack can’t help the small tingle of feelings rushing over him as Fitz beams at him.

“Black and sweet, just how you like it” Mack teases as he holds out one of the drinks, enjoying the rise of colour on Fitz’s cheeks.

“You didn’t have to.”

“Hey, it’s the least I can do. First you held my bus for me and then you shared your umbrella. You’re like a tiny Scottish superhero.”

Fitz pulls an indignant face at that.

“Oi, I’m not tiny! We can’t all be freakishly tall.”

“Hmm, you didn’t seem to mind me being freakishly tall yesterday.

“Well, I didn’t say I _minded_ it today either.”

They smile at each other in silence until Mack remembers the CD in his pocket.

“So, I hope you don’t think this is weird but I thought you might be interested in this.” Mack pulls the CD case from his pocket.

Fitz wrinkles his face in (adorable) confusion. “What’s that?”

“It’s a gift. I know we don’t know each other but - - “

“No. I mean. What _is_ that?! It looks like something I might have seen in an antiques store once…something to do with music?”

“Ha ha. Make fun of me all you want. I’m just gonna assume you’re not interested in owning a copy of Coldplay’s Safety EP.”

Mack smirks in satisfaction as Fitz’s eyes widen and he makes grabby hands at the CD case.

“Oh my God, it _is_. How the hell did you manage to get a copy of this? There was only ever like 500 made!”

Mack feels a warmth settle over him as he watches Fitz stroke the case reverently.

“I may have ended up with two copies following an epic ebay battle. Which is a waste and I thought you might like it.”

“I love it. How did you even know I liked Coldplay?”

Mack gestures to Fitz’s headphones, which are hanging around his neck for once, in deference to their conversation.

Fitz frowns down at the headphones as if they’d personally offended him. “But these are supposed to have no carry through sound for other people? I don’t listen to my music that loud, do I?”

Mack grins. “No, but you do sing along under your breath. It’s cute.”

Fitz looks utterly mortified and Mack can’t help but tease a little more.

“I mean, you’re no Chris Martin but luckily you’re much better looking than him so..”

Fitz tries to protest and give the CD back but Mack’s bus has arrived and he makes his escape with a quick. “No give backs. See you tomorrow.”

He heads straight for the back of the bus to watch Fitz smile and tuck the CD away in his backpack out the window before settling into his seat with a grin.

_Friday_

Thursday, which had started so amazingly with the smiling and the tea and the Coldplay CD, had disintegrated as soon as he reached the lab.

One of the lab techs had screwed up and when Fitz had headed over to fix the problem, the device had exploded in his face.

Fitz had never been more thankful for safety goggles but he was still left with some deep scratches on his cheek and a fairly impressive black eye from the impact of debris hitting his goggles.

Fitz wakes up on Friday morning praying for sunshine so he can wear sunglasses without looking like an idiot and curses when he sees overcast skies.

 

Fitz takes one look in the mirror and considers shelling out for a taxi this morning just to avoid Mack seeing him like this but then he catches sight of the CD case on his coffee table, sitting next to two used take-away tea cups and knows that it’s not an option. He wants to see Mack, it’s only been three days and already he feels like his day wouldn’t be right if it didn’t start with Mack.

Fitz starts to rethink his position when he sees a cold fury pass over Mack’s face as he approaches the bus stop. He’s frightened for a second as Mack stalks towards him but relaxes as Mack’s large hands reach up gently to cradle Fitz’s jaw, turning his head lightly so Mack can get a closer look at the damage to Fitz’s face.

“Jesus, Fitz, are you OK? Just tell me who I have to kill.”

Fitz smiles softly and lets himself lean into Mack’s touch just a bit more before pulling Mack’s hands away with a fond huff.

“I’m fine. Occupational hazard, I’m an engineer and some tech went boom.”

Mack rakes his eyes down the rest of Fitz as if checking for other injuries. He’s obviously satisfied that Fitz is in one piece as he raises his head and grins.

“Brains as well as beauty? I’m impressed, Turbo.”

Fitz shakes his head at Mack’s terrible lines. He’s pretty sure by now that Mack likes him. He knows that he likes Mack. He wants to ask Mack out. He’s opening his mouth to do it when the familiar growl of the bus driver pulls them out of their moment

Mack looks annoyed. “I need to go.”

Fitz nods hopelessly.

There’s always Monday, he supposes.

Mack runs his thumb across Fitz’s jaw one last time before boarding the bus.

Fitz panics and yells out just before the doors close. “Tomorrow. Same time.”

He can’t tell if Mack heard him, scary bus driver lady having zoomed off as soon as the doors shut, but Fitz will be here tomorrow morning, even if does mean getting up early on the weekend.

_Saturday_

It’s Saturday, 6.45am and Mack is sitting in the newly installed bus shelter with two hot drinks hoping that he hadn’t misheard Fitz.

There aren’t many people Mack would willingly get up at this time on a Saturday morning for but as stupid as it may be after barely fifteen solid minutes of interaction, he has a feeling that Fitz is worth it.

_If_ he’s coming that is.

Mack is just about to check his watch again as he sees Fitz jog around the corner.

Fitz is beet red and out of breath as he tries to speak.

“I’m so—rry. I slept in. I’m not - - not a - - “

Mack smiles fondly at him as he hands him his cup of tea.

“You’re not a morning person.“

“Not usually, no.”

“Or a bus person?”

“Historically, no.”

“Then how about we get to know each other at a different time of day with no buses in sight.”

Fitz grins at him.

“That sounds great. But hey, they put the bus shelter back in yesterday – how about we finish our drinks there first? Mornings and buses have kind of been growing on me.”


End file.
